The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a strong warning to the Federal Government, threatening to withdraw services across federal polytechnics if the persistent delays in salary payments are not addressed immediately.
In a statement released by the union’s president, Shammah Kpanja, ASUP expressed deep frustration over the consistent late payment of salaries in federal tertiary institutions for the past eight months, describing the situation as “mental torture” and a violation of the government’s contractual obligations to academic staff.
The statement, titled “Habitual Delay in Payment of Salaries Across Federal Polytechnics in Nigeria,” revealed that the delays coincided with the transition of salary payment from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), both managed by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
“If the situation does not improve in the coming days, our union may be forced to direct members to stay away from all affected polytechnics until all outstanding salaries are paid. This pattern may be adopted monthly until there is a clear improvement,” Kpanja warned.
ASUP criticized the federal government for treating academic staff with “utter disdain,” stating that eight months is an unreasonably long trial period for a transition between two platforms under the same federal agency.
The union further condemned the economic hardship being inflicted on polytechnic staff, lamenting that salaries—already devalued—now arrive unpredictably, leaving workers unable to meet basic needs and forced into debt cycles every month.
“It is shameful that while lecturers and researchers in our institutions are subjected to this penury, political elites continue to enjoy unchecked luxury and focus on power games ahead of the next election cycle,” the statement added.
The union called for the immediate release of June 2025 salaries and a complete halt to the trend of delays going forward.
“We will not stand by while our members are reduced to beggars in a collapsing economy. The federal government must act now to prevent another wave of industrial disruption in the education sector,” ASUP concluded.
